I was riding the bus when an old man sat down next to me and started saying some stupid things, but then he said something really weird.
When I was sixteen, I was walking home from music school. The bus was crowded. I sat with my shoulder pressed against the cold glass.
At one of the stops, an elderly man sat down heavily next to me. He smelled of cheap tobacco and something sharp, like alcohol. I automatically moved away, cowering inside, like teenagers do when they try to become invisible. He was silent for a few seconds, and then he started talking and laughing loudly like a madman.
At first, something meaningless, like: what is my name, where am I going, how old am I. I didn’t answer. It was creepy and scary. The thought flashed through my head: I’d like to move, just to get away from him. No one paid attention to the elderly man, which made me even more scared.
But then he said something that left me in shock. It’s not every day you hear or see something like that. I’m 25 now, but I still remember how scared I was. I’ll tell you what this strange man said.
“Girl,” he suddenly spoke, and his voice was not what I expected. Quiet, calm, almost warm. “Want me to tell you a secret? The secret of happiness.
I looked at him with distrust, silently.
He leaned forward slightly and, as if sharing something intimate, whispered:
— Always remember: someone who will change your life can see you at any moment. Right now. Imagine that this is the very person you dream about. And what will he see? A tired, dissatisfied girl, with drooping shoulders and sad eyes? And that is exactly how he will remember you.
He leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes for a moment, then fell asleep right there. Whether it was drunken delirium or wise advice, I still can’t figure out. But after that, I started smiling a lot in public places.
Many years have passed since then. I forgot the address of the music school, even the names of my classmates – but his voice and his words have stayed with me forever.
